Usenet Users Network – Everything you Need to Know in 2024
Usenet is a combination of two words, “Users” and “Network,” and it’s a network of internet-based discussion groups known as newsgroups. It was founded in 1979 by two students at Duke University, and at its peak, it was used by millions of users worldwide. In 2024, it’s still relevant, and it’s used by thousands of users around the world. If you are interested in Usenet Users Network, you are in the right place because we will tell you everything you need to know about it in 2024. Let’s get started.
How Usenet Users Network Started?
Like modern social media platforms, Usenet Users Network .also had a humble beginning, and it was started by two students who wanted to increase collaboration between the students at different universities. In the 1970s, the modern Internet was at its early stages, and only authorized individuals had access to the platform. So, the students wanted a platform that would allow them to share files and collaborate easily.
So, the two bright students at Duke University, Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis, decided to take charge of this mission, and they used UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy Protocol) to connect the servers of Duke University and the University of North Carolina. Once they were able to connect the remote servers via telephone lines, they started talking about it to the other students and professors, which made the Usenet very popular within the academic circle. With time, the servers of other Universities in the US were also connected with the Usenet, and the network started to expand to the universities across the US.
As Usenet became very popular, users beyond US Universities also started requesting access to the Usenet, and hence more Usenet servers were created by other users to meet the demand. In the 80s and 90s, Usenet went through tons of changes that made the platform more efficient and more reliable. Fast forward to 2024, Usenet is still very popular, and it’s used by thousands of privacy enthusiasts around the world.
Why Creators of Named Usenet the Usenet?
Usenet is a pretty popular platform, and there are several reasons behind why it’s called Usenet. According to authentic sources, the creators of Usenet, . Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis, came up with the term of Usenet by combing two words, “Users” and “Network,” and considering the name, it makes sense.
However, some sources also claim that the creators of platforms decided to name their Platform “Usenet” because they wanted to secure funding and support from USENIX. USENIX was an American Nonprofit organization that was founded in 1975 with the goal of supporting advancement in the field of computing systems and OS research.
Some sources also claim that the creators came up with the term “Usenet” by Unix-to-Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP). Now it’s entirely possible that the creators had all the above reasons in their mind while naming their network, but the first two reasons are pretty strong and convincing.
What are Newsgroup Hierarchies?
Usenet is basically a huge bulletin board that comes with a number of newsgroups that are divided into various hierarchies. When Usenet was created, there weren’t a lot of newsgroups available because the number of Usenet users was pretty limited.
However, as Usenet became more popular, users started creating a lot of new newsgroups, which made it difficult for existing users to participate and discover, which is why Newsgroup Hierarchies were introduced to organize newsgroups.
In 2024, there are a number of hierarchies available on Usenet, but the majority of them are divided into BIG 8 and Alt.* Hierarchies. These Hierarchies come with the majority of the newsgroups available on the platform. These are the 9 Major Newsgroup Hierarchies on Usenet.
- Comp.* Hierarchy comes with newsgroups related to Computers.
- Humanities.* Hierarchy feature newsgroups related to philosophy, literature, and other related topics.
- News.* Hierarchy is all about news such as politics, military, financial, etc.
- Rec.* Hierarchy covers newsgroups related to recreation and entertainment.
- Sci.* Hierarchy covers topics related to science.
- Soc.* Hierarchy covers social topics.
- Talk.8 Hierarchy covers topics related to religion, politics, and other controversial topics.
- Misc.* Hierarchy covers topics that are not covered in the above Hierarchy.
- Alt.* Hierarchy covers a wide range of topics, and newsgroups in this Hierarchy are usually not moderated.
Does Usenet Still Exist?
When Usenet was created, there wasn’t a lot of competition, but in 2024, it has tons of competition, and it directly competes with platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and Instagram. It’s true that it has seen some downfall in the last few years, but it’s still very relevant, and it still exists. In 2024, the majority of Usenet Users are people who value their privacy, and they don’t want to access modern social media platforms at the cost of their privacy.
Is Usenet Free?
The Usenet platform itself is free, but as it’s a decentralized platform and servers are operated by independent service providers. So, if you want to access Usenet, you will need a subscription from a reliable Usenet Service Provider.
Conclusion
Usenet Users Network is still very relevant in 2024, and it’s used by thousands of users around the world. If you also want Usenet access and looking for a good Usenet Service, we recommend Usenetserver It’s a well-known Usenet Service Provider which has been in the business for years, and it offers a great retention period along with other promising features. You can check the review of UsenetServer and other Usenet Service Providers on our website.